About a hundred South Sudanese refugees were earlier detained at a police station in Sudan's White Nile. (-)

A civil society activist is appealing to the unity government to reach out to Sudan’s warring parties to respect the rights of South Sudanese who are caught up in the ongoing war.

Edmond Yakani – the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization – says the Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Force should respect the human rights of South Sudanese in Sudan.

The call comes a day after South Sudanese refugees in White Nile State accused the Sudanese army of arbitrarily arresting, torturing and sexually assaulting civilians fleeing fighting and hunger in other parts of the country, allegations backed by a local rights group.

Sudan-based Refugee Rights Watch (RRW) confirmed the incidents and called on the Sudanese authorities to take immediate and decisive action to halt the violations.

Activist Yakani says South Sudanese refugees should be protected while urging the unity government to engage the warring parties in Sudan to respect the rights of the refugees.

“Our citizens who are caught up in the armed violence of Sudan, who are refugees are raising their voices that they are facing human rights violations in various forms,” Yakani told Eye Radio.

“Intimidation, arbitrary arrests, sexual assault and torture by the warring parties of Sudan, and in particular our citizens in White Nile state rights now are facing hardship from the Sudanese warring parties,” he said.

“I am aware that other South Sudanese in other parts of Sudan are facing similar human rights violations.

“I would like to appeal to the government of South Sudan to appeal to the Sudan warring parties to respect the rights of our citizens who are refugees because South Sudan and Sudan we share the same political challenges,” he said.

“We have refugees in each of the countries. We don’t want to see any state agent whether being of Sudan or South Sudan take advantage of mistreating the rights of refugees.”